Through a statement, Raila said that he has known Janet since her early days as a TV presenter and has come to know her as a strong and courageous lady, attributes that saw her courageous face the lung cancer that eventually took away her life.

"I can attest that she had depth and intellect. Above all she was a forward-looking optimist," Raila said.

Of her illness, Raila said Janet fought the cancer courageously and urged the media to use her struggles and courage to rally the nation to pay a greater attention towards cancer treatment and care for cancer patients.

"Her battle must be a battle of the nation to give a specific attention to cancer as an emerging health catastrophe that needs very specific attention," Raila added.